


Fireplace

by Blue_Storm (Spillz)



Series: Zutara Month 2016 [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Zutara Month
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 08:26:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9170710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spillz/pseuds/Blue_Storm
Summary: Katara gives away her biggest secret by forgetting to build a fireplace in her new igloo.





	

Southern water tribe tradition was not quite as rigid as in the north, changes had been made to accommodate the war and some things had been long forgotten, so when Katara and Sokka finally arrived home all tradition was tossed aside and the right of passage reserved for married couples was offered to their returning heroes.

 

“We get to build our own igloos!” Sokka jumped for joy and dragged a reluctant Zuko into a hug “I don't have to listen to Gran Gran snoring ever again!“

“And you can sneak Suki in way easier this way” Katara teased, both parties blushed but Suki was quick on the retort

“I have never-”

“I'm not even touching earth right now but I still know you're lying” Toph interrupted

Suki grumbled under her breath about using your bending to be nosey but even without Toph’s deduction, everyone in the group was well aware of their sleepovers

“Anyway, before we got so grossly sidetracked, I was going to invite you guys to help us with the building” Sokka quickly moved on

“Building an igloo together is about starting a family, and you guys are all like family to-” Katara’s touching explanation was cut short by Toph's blunt exclamation of;

“Pass”

“Toph!” Aang, who had been paying rapt attention to Katara’s speech, was positively stricken by the interruption 

“Pass on the building, not that sappy-happy family stuff.” Toph clarified “I'm _actually_ blind in this icy hellscape, so I'm not going to be much help”

“Fine, Toph passes, everyone else, get ready to learn the ancient southern art of igloo construction!” Sokka said, “Step one is finding a plot of land far enough from Gran Gran that she can't hear you, but not so far that it's an insult.”

“You do realise she doesn't live with dad anymore?” Katara said “She must have moved in with Pakku years ago”

“You did say igloos were something newlyweds built” Zuko pointed out, but Sokka slapped his hands over his ears

“You know what I don't want to think about? My grandmother being a newlywed” He said firmly, leading the Gaang out start the work.

 

While the gesture of getting the others to help with the building had been sweet enough, a few hours of hand-numbingly cold work had the whole team wishing they were back in the warm with Toph, and they hadn’t even started adding the ice yet.

“Okay, as much as I appreciate being a member of your family, can we please finish this tomorrow?” Zuko finally asked, even with his bending the cold was beginning to get to him.

“Without the ice, these foundations won’t last the night,” Katara said “We have to finish today”

“Why don't you and Aang just water bend us the igloos so we can all go sit by the fire and not get frostbite?” Sokka asked

“You have to build you own Sokka, that's tradition,” Katara said

“Come on Katara!” Aang whined, “Wouldn’t us water bending them just be like cementing our family bond?”

“Doing it for him isn’t bonding”

“Surely you don’t want to leave Toph alone and helpless any longer than necessary?” Suki suggested

“We both know Toph is far from helpless” Katara scoffed

“But the quicker they’re done, the quicker you can get started on the inside”

It was as if had said some kind of magic words, and in a few swift movements, Katara had a perfectly smooth dome of ice and packed snow formed around the skeletons they had created.

“Nice one Katara! Now let’s go inside and get warm!” Aang said, lighting a fire in his palms

“You aren't done yet, you forgot to add a chimney to your one” Sokka pointed out

“Oh, I don't need one,” Katara said without thinking,

“What do you mean you don’t need a chimney? You'll suffocate the second you start a fire!” Sokka asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion

“I uh-” Katara began, but Sokka wasn’t done

“And without a fire, you’d freeze” he added

“Well, I just-” She tried to interrupt again, without success

“And you can’t have forgotten, you made one on mine,” He said, gesturing to the prominent chimney she had indeed made for him

“You see, the thing is-” Katara made on final attempt to steer her brother away from the truth, but she ended up giving up a vital piece of evidence.

“Are you blushing?” He asked, leaning close to her face

“No! Of course not!” Katara lied, turns away sharply to face Suki

“You are so,” Suki said, Katara glared daggers at her ‘Friend’, but right now she too curious to care.

“Zuko’s blushing as well!” Aang pointed out, eager to assist in the reveal of this mystery

“I’m just not used to the cold” Zuko insisted, but he had never been good at lying, and the attention turned him an even darker shade of pink than he had been before.

Suddenly Sokka’s eyes widened and then narrowed again as realisation began to dawn on him. Katara looked from him to Zuko in horror, praying Sokka wouldn’t draw the correct conclusion. Her prayers were not answered.

“So, you don’t need a fireplace because you have a fire bender to keep you warm!”

Katara and Zuko shared a panicked look, they hadn't even told Sokka they were dating, and now he knew they shared a bed. This had not been how they're expected the day to go

“Well, uh, you see-” Katara was ready to salvage the situation, but once again she was interrupted.

“About time!” Sokka said, clapping them both on the back and pulling Katara into a hug “Here I thought you two were still pining after all these years.”

“I can't believe you made fun of me and Sokka’s sleepovers!” Suki grumbled with a smile on her face.

“I can't believe you didn't tell us!! Toph is gonna freak!” Aang jumped about ten feet in the air, ready to run out and tell her, but Zuko snagged him by the hood of his new parka.

“I hate to break it to you but I'm pretty sure she already knows,” Zuko said, nobody kept anything from Toph for long

“Ugh, She never tells any of the secrets I care about” Aang complained

“And you aren't mad?” Katara asked, still in shock at the warm reception of her news

“What, why would I be mad? Zuko’s my best bud, you couldn't have made a better choice” he said, thinking for a moment before adding “I would add a chimney, though, I'm not sure Dad is ready for this revelation”

“Good idea,” Katara said, with the full intention of following his advice, but first there was something she had wanted to do for a while. She grabbed Zuko by the hood of his parka and kissed his cold, chapped lips in front of all of their friends.


End file.
